search term

An element of a search or query. A
search term is the basic building block of a boolean search
or a weighted search. In a search engine a search term is
typically a word, phrase, or pattern match expression. For
example: cosmonaut or "space travel" or astronaut*

In a database a term is typically the comparison of a column
with a constant or with another column. For example:
last_name like 'Smith%'